In his address marking the opening of the 2023 session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres drew attention to the ways that indigenous peoples are denied their human rights, and saluted them for the pioneering role they play in efforts to protect nature and preserve biodiversity.
Indigenous peoples “hold many of the solutions to the climate crisis and are guardians of the world’s biodiversity,” in places as varied as the Amazon, the Sahel, and the Himalayas, said Mr. Guterres.
The UN chief acknowledged that indigenous peoples struggle to adapt to the climate crisis, and face the exploitation of their resource-rich territories, eviction from their ancestral lands, and physical attacks.
The Secretary-General pointed to the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, which has led to broader participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the organization, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“The United Nations is committed to keep promoting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in policies and programming at all levels and amplifying your voices,” declared the UN chief. “Let us learn from and embrace the experiences of indigenous peoples.”